Sponsors

The Shejun Agency was established with the aim of preserving and passing on the rich cultural heritage of Bhutan to future generations. Shejun means knowledge (ཤེས) transmission (རྒྱུན་) in Classical Tibetan and Dzongkha. Active since 2004, Shejun presently focuses on the documentation and study of Bhutan’s written heritage and oral traditions. The organisation is located in Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu, and made up of a group of committed national and international scholars, field researchers and support staff. Shejun works in close collaboration with local partners such as the Department of Culture under Bhutan’s Ministry of Home and Culture and with leading international research universities such as Cambridge University and the University of Virginia. In 2017, the Shejun Agency merged with the Loden Foundation, further strengthening Loden’s commitment to Bhutanese cultural preservation.

Arcadia is the charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin. Since its inception in 2001, Arcadia has awarded grants in excess of $331 million. Arcadia works to protect endangered culture and nature.

Building upon the University of Virginia’s long-standing commitment to Tibetan and Himalayan Studies, the Tibet Center was established in 2008 to promote an integrated model of knowledge and practice consisting of study programs, research initiatives, library collections, collaborative scholarly initiatives, and engaged social programs hosted by the University of Virginia. The Tibet Center brings together University faculty, students, staff, and alumni from a wide variety of disciplines and offers Tibet-related courses, cultural programs, speaker series, and community engagement. The Center also reaches beyond the University to connect scholars of around the world, advance collaborative research, relate the academy to people from across social sectors, and foster programs of direct benefit to Tibetan and himalayan communities.